SELANGOR, 10 January 2017 – After five challenging qualifying rounds, the champion of this year’s World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship (WAITGC) will be determined at the Sungai Long Golf & Country Club.

A total of 100 players in 25 teams from Australia (12 teams), Brunei (11 teams) and Malaysia (2 teams) are competing in the 3-day Grand Final, beginning today.

The 18-hole Sungai Long Golf & Country Club was designed by famous golf master Jack Nicklaus. Dubbed as the “Garden of Eden”, it features a unique, modern yet classy layout that offers a fair challenge for golfers of all levels.

rd WAITGC attracted a total of 464 players in 116 teams from Australia, Brunei,

WAITGC is Tourism Malaysia’s initiative to promote the country as a top-of-mind golf destination in the region, attracting more than 500 international amateur golfers and spouses annually. Since its debut in 1994, WAITGC has emerged as a well-regarded tournament, and it is one of the most highly anticipated golfing events in the region. WAITGC is managed by the Golf Club Managers Association of Malaysia (GCMAM) and sanctioned by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA).

To golfers, WAITGC is more than just a platform for them to compete against golfers from other countries; it is also a perfect holiday package, where they get to visit some of the country’s best tourist destinations.

Golf tourism has been identified as one of the key sectors to increase the nation’s tourism contribution to the economy, and has been outlined as part of the country’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). Golf tourism receipts amounted to RM312 million in 2015, making it a strong contributor to the nation’s economy.

ENDS

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2015, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM69.1 billion in receipts.

Through the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area), collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, other Government agencies and the private sector have been enhanced to help secure Malaysia’s position as a leading tourist destination and achieve the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020.

The targets set under the Tourism NKEA will be achieved through the implementation of twelve Entry Point Projects (EPPs) clustered under five themes: Affordable Luxury; Nature Adventure; Family Fun; Events, Entertainment, Spa and Sports; and Business Tourism.

Press contact:

Media Relations Unit:
Mohd Libra Lee Haniff, Deputy Director, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email: mohdlibra@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:

Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Corporate Communication Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my